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The view from Cristo Redentor

From the top of Corcovado – at 710 metres – the statue of Christ the Redeemer towers high above Rio. With its arms wide open, the statue has guarded the city since 1931. This 38-metre-high statue is Rio de Janeiro’s landmark monument and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

In the 1850s, priest Pedro Maria Boss dreamed of building a statue on top of Corcovado. However, it was only in 1921 that the church managed to save enough money to begin the construction of the statue. It took 10 years but it was worth the wait. There are few statues in the world with such a magnificent view.

 Sunset at Cristo Redentor

Rio de Janeiro

“Christ the Redeemer was built in France from blocks of clay and weighs 1145 tons”

From Paris to Rio

The Portuguese name of the statue is Cristo Redentor, or ‘Christ the Redeemer’. The solid statue is 28 metres wide and was designed by engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. French-Polish sculptor Paul Landowski made the statue in Paris from blocks of clay that were then used in Rio to create a mould for pouring the concrete.

Hike or take the elevator

To get to the statue it is easy to take a taxi or tram to the foot of Corcovado. Fit and healthy visitors can walk the 222 steps to the top, but there is also a lift. The view is truly breathtaking with sweeping vistas of Sugarloaf, the favelas, downtown Rio and the sparkling white beaches. Now you know why Cristo was placed at this location.

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Cristo Redentor stands high up on the mountain

A cup of coffee in the park

After a visit to Cristo Redentor, stop at the bottom of the mountain to visit the Parque Lage. The park is named after rich industrialist Henrique Lage, who at the beginning of the 20th century lived in this enormous mansion with his wife, singer Gabriela Bezanzoni. In the 1960s, the park was opened to the public. A walk through the subtropical forest in the park is a welcome relief from the crowds at the statue. For a strong cup of Brazilian coffee head to the café inside Henrique’s mansion.